A Scam Called Love, starring the Eastern Cape’s Brenda Ngxoli, premieres on Friday, with the actress appearing in her first cinematic role.
In January, the Dispatch reported on how Ngxoli was rescued by her fans and colleagues after her financial difficulties and family feuds came to light in a video which went viral on social media.
Ngxoli became popular in the early 2000s after she bagged a role on the SABC 1 drama series, Home Affairs, in which she portrayed Vuyo Radebe for three years.
The model and television star also appeared in soapies such as Ses’Top La, The Queen and The River.
She said making the big screen was a huge breakthrough for her in her career.
“This is something I have been eagerly awaiting for most of my career.
“At times I am tempted to doubt myself but I now more than ever believe that God’s timing is perfect,” she said.
Ngxoli plays the part of an “ice queen” mother in A Scam Called Love.
“People should expect a fun movie.
“[It] depicts real African storytelling in a comedic manner without caricaturing our people and even though it is a supporting role, my character, like most mothers, is the glue that keeps her family together.
“The struggles she has faced has led her to be an ice queen and at times controversial.
“It is a romantic comedy and I play the mother to the leading lady,” Ngxoli said.
Writer and director of A Scam Called Love, Carla Fonseca Mokgata, said Ngxoli was perfect for the part.
“Brenda is a pioneer and she is an absolute star as she has been in the industry for nearly three decades, so it is definitely always a dream to work with her and an actress of her calibre.
“When we wrote the show we just knew she would be able to nail the character and she did so beautifully.
“We contacted our director to find her for us, we met her and we just fell in love with her,” Mokgata said.
“She is incredible to work with, she is the most professional actress to work with, she is so skilled and as a director it makes me happy.
“For her this role of being an ice queen mother aligns with her, as it shows how a black woman leads in the family.
“Ngxoli is a powerful woman and I do not think it was difficult for her to take on and understand the role.”
Daily Dispatch
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